North Korean men's national football team manager Ri Kwang-chon speaks at a press conference in Kariya, Japan, on Sept. 15.KIM HYO-KYOUNG
KARIYA, Japan — “That question doesn’t seem relevant to the match.”
Ri Kwang-chon, the manager of North Korea’s men’s football team, kept his answer brief when asked how he felt about taking part in a tournament in Japan on Tuesday.
The exchange came during a press conference at Kariya Stadium in Kariya, Aichi, a day before North Korea’s opening group stage match at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
North Korea has sent 107 athletes to compete in 14 sports, including football, weightlifting and wrestling. The delegation numbers more than 180 when support staff are included.
This marks North Korea’s first appearance at an Asian Games held in Japan. Participation in the 1958 Asiad in Tokyo was not possible because North Korea was not a member of the Asian Games Federation, the predecessor of the Olympic Council of Asia. North Korea stayed away from the 1994 Hiroshima Games for political reasons.
North Korea also did not participate in either of the two Olympics held in Tokyo, in 1964 and 2020. The last time the country sent a large athletic delegation to Japan was for the 1985 Universiade in Kobe.
North Korean football officials have previously bristled at how their country is referred to by South Korean reporters.
Members of North Korea’s football team arrive at Kansai International Airport in Osaka ahead of the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Sept. 11.YONHAP
A similar exchange occurred during the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League in May. A South Korean reporter began a question to Ri Yu-il, manager of North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s Football Club, by saying that “The North’s women’s football has long been strong.”
“Use our country’s proper name. I will not take that person’s question,” the manager said through an interpreter before getting up and leaving the press briefing, demanding that reporters use the official name of the country in the Korean language.
During Tuesday’s press conference, Ri Kwang-chon and another North Korean team official appeared briefly uncomfortable when a reporter referred to North Korea simply as “the republic,” but neither responded further.
Players from the North Korean women's national football team celebrate after scoring against Bangladesh in the women's football competition in Osaka, Japan, on Sept. 14.YONHAP
North Korea opens Group D against China on Wednesday before facing the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and Iran on Sept. 23, looking to finish in the top two in the group to advance to the quarterfinals. North Korea and South Korea would both have to reach the semifinals to face each other.
“Every team has a goal going into its first Asian Games match, so we will approach the game carefully and do our best to show everything we have prepared,” Ri Kwang-chon said.
When asked about playing against China, the North Korean manager had an apolitical answer.
“China is a strong team that has finished near the top in Asian age-group competitions,” Ri Kwang-chon said, noting the country's success in tournaments with an age limit on call-ups, such as the under-23 designation for football at the Asian Games. “There are no easy or difficult teams. We will prepare well and show what we can do.”
North Korea’s women’s team got off to a flying start a day earlier with a 10-0 rout of Bangladesh in its opening group-stage match. About 1,000 supporters, including students from Korean schools in Osaka and Kyoto and other ethnic Koreans living in Japan, cheered on the team.
Japanese students who are ethnic Koreans cheer for the North Korean women’s football team during a match against Bangladesh in Osaka, Japan, on Sept. 14.NEWS1
“I was deeply moved by the enthusiastic welcome from our compatriots when we arrived,” Ri said. “Just as the women’s team won with that passionate support behind them, we will run and keep running as one with our compatriots to achieve a good result.”
North Korea selected two wild card players over the age of 23 for its squad, short of the maximum three allowed: goalkeeper Kang Ju-hyok, 29, who played at the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup, and 31-year-old veteran midfielder Kim Kuk-bom.
“They are a young generation, but they are not lacking in experience,” Ri said. “They just need to confidently show what they have prepared. I expect Kang and Kim to play their roles well for the team.”
Ri was one of North Korea’s leading defenders during his playing career. He represented the country at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and scored the winning header in North Korea’s 1-0 victory over a South Korean side managed by Hong Myung-bo during the group stage of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.
Ri also played overseas for Thailand’s Muangthong United and Pattaya United. North Korea sent players to leagues across Europe and Asia at the time to earn foreign currency, but economic sanctions have since made that impossible.
Players from the North Korean women's national football team cheer after defeating Bangladesh 10-0 in their opening match at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Sept. 14.YONHAP
The host location of this year’s Asian Games, Aichi Prefecture, which includes the city of Nagoya, has been hot and humid during the Games.
“The weather is fine,” Ri said. “Every team is giving its all for a medal, and we will keep moving toward the goal we have set. Rather than focus on a specific target, our first goal is to give everything we have in each group stage match and advance.”
“There is nothing special about Japan,” Ri said when asked about the Japanese team. “They are a opponent. There is no other meaning to it. If we meet them, we will give everything we have and show what we can do on the pitch.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
